Office of the Ombudsman

What Office of the Ombudsman does

The Office of the Ombudsman is an independent agency of the Hawaii State Legislature, established in 1969 under Chapter 96 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Its statutory function is to investigate complaints filed by any person against state and county executive branch agencies and their employees, and to resolve substantiated complaints through recommendations and reasoned persuasion. The jurisdiction explicitly excludes the governor and lieutenant governor, the legislature and judiciary, the federal government, county mayors and councils, multistate entities, and nongovernmental entities. The office is currently led by Ombudsman Robin K. Matsunaga with Donna M. Woo as First Assistant Ombudsman; the most recent public reporting covers Report No. 56 for FY 2024-2025. Total headcount is 361 employees, and the office has produced a continuous annual report cadence for 56 years.

Complaints and inquiries can be submitted through telephone (including toll-free numbers for residents of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, and Molokai), email, facsimile, mail, and in-person walk-in at the Honolulu headquarters on Kekaulike Street. There is no fee for filing or for investigation; all activity is funded through legislative appropriations under the act providing for expenses of the legislature. The office lacks authority to compel administrative action, so resolution paths run through agency cooperation and persuasive recommendations. Historical performance shows 11-13% substantiation rates on 5,295-6,158 annual inquiries (FY 2001-2002 through FY 2003-2004) and rectification rates of 89-92.4% on substantiated complaints.

The office maintains active professional participation in the United States Ombudsman Association (USOA), where the Hawaii Ombudsman has served as President, and in the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI). It hosted the 24th Annual USOA Conference in September 2003 with approximately 100 international attendees. Outreach efforts include advertisements in county newspapers, attendance at the Hawaii Seniors' Fair and Small Business Fair, and speaker presentations at Chamber of Commerce events, indicating deliberate outreach to under-served population segments. Recognition events for long-tenured staff (David Tomatani, 30 years; Alfred Itamura, 20 years; Linda Teruya, 10 years) and targeted investigator hiring (Yvonne Faria, May 2002; Jeffrey Keating, December 3, 2003) point to a stable, incrementally rotating workforce of 361 employees.

Name

Office of the Ombudsman

Legal name

Office of the Ombudsman

Website

https://ombudsman.hawaii.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Office of the Ombudsman is an independent Hawaii State Legislature agency established in 1969 under Chapter 96 that investigates citizen complaints against state and county executive branch agencies. It provides free services to Hawaii residents, currently headed by Ombudsman Robin K. Matsunaga with 361 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legislative Appropriations: As an independent agency of the Hawaii State Legislature established under Chapter 96 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, the office is funded through legislative appropriations as specified in the act providing for the expenses of the legislature. The office does not generate revenue from services as no fees may be levied for submission or investigation of complaints.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Office of the Ombudsman independently and impartially investigates complaints from citizens against state and county executive branch agencies and employees in Hawaii. Established under Chapter 96 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, the office has the authority to obtain necessary information for an investigation and recommend corrective action when complaints are substantiated. The service is provided free of charge with no fees levied for submission or investigation of complaints.

Product overview

The Office of the Ombudsman is a government agency that provides complaint investigation and resolution services for citizens against state and county executive branch agencies in Hawaii. The office operates under Chapter 96 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes and does not offer commercial software products or technology services. The organization's primary functions include independently investigating citizen complaints, publishing annual reports (Report No. 1 through Report No. 56 spanning from 1969 to present), maintaining a cumulative index of complaint summaries by agency, and making recommendations for corrective action when complaints are substantiated.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Citizen Complaint Investigation Service Free investigation service for Hawaii citizens who have complaints against state or county executive branch agencies or employees. The office conducts independent and impartial investigations and recommends corrective action when complaints are substantiated.
• Annual Reports Annual reports published pursuant to Section 96-16 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, detailing office activities, statistical data on complaints handled, and selected case summaries. The most recent report is Report No. 56 for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, with reports dating back to Report No. 1.
• Cumulative Index of Complaint Summaries A reference index of complaint summaries organized by state and county agency, providing searchable historical record of complaints investigated across multiple annual reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92.4% of substantiated complaints were rectified in FY 2003-2004
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United States Ombudsman Association (USOA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization serving public sector ombudsman offices across the United States, with member offices in Canada, Central America, and other parts of the world. Hawaii's Ombudsman has served as President of USOA, and Hawaii hosted the 24th Annual Conference in September 2003 with 100 attendees from around the world.
• International Ombudsman Institute (IOI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorldwide organization of public sector ombudsman offices supported by the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, and its Faculty of Law. Provides links to member offices from around the world.
• Other State Ombudsman OfficesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of ombudsman offices including Alaska, Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska, Portland (OR), King County (WA), Detroit (MI), and others for information sharing and best practices.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Detroit (MI) Office of the Ombudsman: Detroit's municipal ombudsman investigates complaints against city departments and employees. Same core function, smaller jurisdiction. Explicitly referenced as a peer in Hawaii's records.
• Iowa Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman: Iowa's Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman investigates complaints against state and local agencies, with similar statutory authority and recommendation-based remedies. Directly comparable in mandate and limitations.
• Alaska State Ombudsman: Alaska's state ombudsman investigates complaints against state agencies and employees, with comparable structure to Hawaii's office. Both are independent offices with similar complaint-investigation mandates and recommend (rather than compel) corrective action.
• King County (WA) Ombudsman: King County's Office of the Ombudsman investigates complaints against county agencies. Same model, different geography; both are explicitly named 'peers' in Hawaii's annual reports.
• Portland (OR) City Auditor's Ombudsman: Portland's City Auditor's Office includes an ombudsman function investigating complaints against city bureaus. Same complaint-investigation function at the municipal level; comparable in scope and methodology.
• Nebraska Public Counsel (Ombudsman): Nebraska's Public Counsel operates as a state ombudsman with authority to investigate state and local government complaints. Same enabling legislation model, similar citizen-service focus, and comparable size.
• Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens' Aide: Arizona's Office of the Citizens' Aide independently investigates complaints against state agencies, with statutory authority roughly parallel to Hawaii's Ombudsman. Comparable in function, jurisdictional scope, and remedy limitations.

Others

• International Ombudsman Institute (IOI): Worldwide organization of public sector ombudsman offices, affiliated with the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. Listed as a partner in Hawaii's records. Industry association rather than a peer for service delivery.
• United States Ombudsman Association (USOA): National membership organization for public sector ombudsman offices. Hawaii's Ombudsman has served as USOA President and the state hosted the 2003 annual conference. Industry association rather than peer.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Office of Special Counsel: Federal agency that investigates federal employee whistleblower disclosures and Hatch Act violations. Operates at broader federal level with similar complaint investigation model, but federal scope and additional authorities (prohibited personnel practices) make it a broader incumbent rather than a direct peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-of-the-ombudsman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Office of the Ombudsman